A furious David Cameron is planning revenge on Boris Johnson after the London mayor launched a series of attacks on the prime minister’s “fudge-arama” over the future of Heathrow airport...

"We will see what happens the next time he comes around with the begging bowl,” said one Downing Street official."

Not that well then:

"Mr Cameron could withhold government support for projects Mr Johnson regards as vital to the capital, unless the mayor tones down his attacks on the government. These include a new rail line from Chelsea to Hackney dubbed Crossrail II, and a tunnel under the Thames at Silvertown."

That would be same tunnel that Boris announced as a done deal just before the election. What else could be held back?

"The mayor also pledged in his election campaign this year to press the government to give responsibility for rail franchises to City Hall and in July established a commission to investigate whether London could retain more of the money it hands to the Treasury in tax."

And while Churchill is best known for saving the nation from foreign occupation, and defeating one of the most evil regimes in history, Boris is best known for setting up a bike hire scheme and painting some blue lines on the road.

Meanwhile, at the bottom of Rentoul's piece we learn that:

"Johnson [has] told aides that he intends to perform his mayoral duties on "an unofficial part-time basis after the Olympics"

An unofficial part-time basis? He's not exactly fighting them on the beaches is he?

The madness continues this morning in the Indy with the headline: "Boris favoured for Tory leader as Osborne tumbles."

Thursday, 12 July 2012

Earlier this year the Evening Standard revealed Ken Livingstone's scandalous plans to embark on a "world tour" if elected:

Labour's mayoral candidate Ken Livingstone today suggested one of his first jobs in office would be to take a “round the world” tour to drum up investment for London...

Bloody grandstanding socialist!

A spokesman for Boris Johnson’s re-election campaign said: "Londoners want a Mayor for London, not a Mayor for the world. Now Londoners can see what going back to Ken Livingstone would really mean."

Indeed. But hang on what's this in the Evening Standard just one month after the election (not available online for some reason)

A series of Prime Ministerial-style world trips? I thought "Londoners want a Mayor for London, not a Mayor for the world"?

And what's this in Boris's written answers to the London Assembly this month?

Stephen Knight: Can you confirm the foreign destinations you plan to visit over the coming months following press reports of “a series of prime ministerial-style foreign trips” to boost foreign direct investment in London?

Written response from the Mayor: Initially, I plan to visit India towards the end of 2012 and then in future years I am considering visits to the Middle East, Brazil and China, and quite possibly other locations. None of these are currently confirmed. I also plan to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos and possibly MIPIM in Cannes in future years.

And how is he going to pay for all this?

Funding will come from existing budgets, in addition to private sponsorship where possible and appropriate.

Monday, 25 June 2012

During the campaign Boris Johnson told the BBC that he wanted a "crackdown on tax dodgers and tax avoiders of all kinds" accusing Ken Livingstone of using a private company to avoid paying income tax.

So how goes Boris's "crackdown" on tax avoidance?

Well so far he's failed to extend it to his own employees.

Asked by Labour AM Len Duvall "how many individuals across the GLA family receive their salary through a private company or as a “sole trader” as opposed to as a GLA employee paying PAYE tax?" he replied today that:

"In TfL as of May 2012 there are 1345 individuals being paid through a private company or as a sole trader."

Wednesday, 9 May 2012

I was on BBC London News last night talking about what we can expect from Boris Johnson's next four years. You can watch it here.

Andrew Gilligan was also on the show. Both Andrew and Dave Hill believe that the appointment of Stephen Greenhalgh and the new role given to Kit Malthouse demonstrates that Boris is going to be a far more radical right wing figure in the next four years.

I have no doubt that this is the message the appointments were meant to send, but I have serious doubts that after four years of doing almost nothing, Boris is suddenly going to turn into a radically transformative Conservative figure.

Boris has spent a lot of time portraying himself as a "real Conservative" in his Daily Telegraph columns and has made countless right-wing interventions on national issues such as the top rate of tax and banking reforms.

But when it comes to his actual policies it is difficult to find much red meat at all.

His regressive fare rises aside, Boris has done almost nothing to either seriously anger the left or excite the right. Ideologically he's been something of a non-event.

If Boris was going to launch a Conservative revolution in London then he would have started it by now. If he had any great vision for the future of London then there would have been some indication of it in his manifesto. There hasn't been.

At the beginning of Boris's last term he hired radical figures like Tim Parker and launched an investigation into making big cuts to London government. But despite all the rhetoric, nothing much happened.

My own feeling is that Boris will continue to make vocal interventions on national issues whilst doing very little to materially alter London one way or another.

His recent comments on immigration and the economy indicate that he is now mostly concerned with manoeuvring into position to be the next leader of the Tory party. Any radical action in London, might help him in that aim, but it would also be very high risk. Boris has shown no indication that he is willing to take those risks.

He may yet prove me wrong, but I suspect that London after eight years of Boris is not going to be very different from London after four years of Boris.

Even the cash fare (which TfL today told me that only 1.2% of bus users actually pay) has risen by 15% over the last four years.

So when Boris claims that bus fares are lower than 2000, what he's really saying is that bus fares went down by so much in Ken's time in office, that even his own 44%-50% rises haven't managed to cancel them out.

Friday, 17 February 2012

Metro are searching for writers and bloggers that have got something to say about the Olympics to contribute to our 2012 coverage. With the biggest sporting event to be held in London on the horizon we want to share your opinions and insights with Metro’s large audience.

Having looked high and low, reviewing blogs and searching out sport professionals, we found your website and would love it if you would like to get involved. Whilst you will not be paid for your posts, you will be set up with a profile page linking to your blog or website and your social media accounts - with the potential to reach thousands of readers under the Metro brand, the opportunity to grow your own following is there.

If you would like to be considered for this opportunity please reply to this email expressing your interest and we will get back to you with further details. If you know anyone else that might be suitable please let us know too.

Kind Regards

Emma

EMMA MILLS METRO.CO.UK

To which I replied:

Dear Emma,

Thank you for your kind offer to work for the Metro for free. Sadly, in Britain we have this thing called the national minimum wage act, that requires employers to actually pay the people who work for them. You may find the following information useful: